Roger Federer vs Filip Krajinovic Indian Wells 2018 Preview

After rain led to Roger Federer‘s opening match at Indian Wells spanning over two days, the World No.1 will be hoping there are no such issues in his third round clash against Filip Krajinovic. He plays the 25th seed for the first time in his career, something that comes as no surprise given his almost-permanent status on the Challenger Tour before late 2017.

It still wasn’t a particular troubling match for Federer, who saved all three break points in his 6-3 7-6(6) win over Federico Delbonis. The Argentinian had previously beaten Federer on his preferred clay but was no match on this occasion. “The nighttime is much deader. The surface doesn’t react so much; the ball doesn’t travel so fast. … So talking about faster, I just think there is more bounce to it, especially if you play someone who has a lot of spin like he has and kicks the ball around a lot.” he said on the change from night to day for his match.

Krajinovic had one of the easier matches to begin his tournament, beating American Mitchell Krueger 6-2 6-2. Krueger, outside the top 200, qualified for the tournament but was no match when it came to facing someone at a much higher level. It continues a decent start to 2018 for Krajinovic, who already has a semi final and a quarter final to his name.

Federer may find it notable that Novak Djokovic suffered an early exit in the other side of the draw, meaning that he is the only one who can break the Indian Wells record for titles this year. Should he advance here, he will play a Frenchman in the fourth round – either Adrian Mannarino or Jeremy Chardy.

Prediction – Roger Federer in straight sets

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